


You Asked For My Trust

by NekoNoKitiKiti



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Gen, Thrawn knows exactly what buttons he was pressing, Thrawn plays mind games with literally everyone, Vader is no exception, Violence but its not graphic, be a bitch get force choked, i think, immediately after the Thrawn:Alliances epilogue, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:40:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29948052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoNoKitiKiti/pseuds/NekoNoKitiKiti
Summary: Vader Force choking Thrawn, because I was expecting it in Alliances and it never came.That's it, that's the plot.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	You Asked For My Trust

If Thrawn had hoped Vader would leave his bridge to him on the return to Coruscant, he wasn't perturbed to find the Dark Lord still breathing down the necks of his bridge crew. The Sith had become willing to allow the grand admiral and his odd relationship to his officers to stand, holding back his accusations of questioning their superior officer and not giving their undying loyalty.

Because of course, Thrawn had that. Enough to allow the hesitation, the concern, the wondering why at any given order. And the Chiss was patient in his explanations, his leading questions, the praise.

In asking them to trust him.

Thrawn had agreed not to speak of The Jedi. But The Sith did not trust, even after Thrawn asking, painstakingly, time after time on this mission. He had only risen to Thrawn's level of patience for results.

And now, as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Thrawn, staring out the bridge viewport at starlines, he felt a niggling. 

Thrawn was about to say something, and it was likely to be irritatingly personal, with them in their own little bubble like this.

'My lord, did you perhaps know of an Ambassador Padmé during the Clone Wars? Though, that may not be her correct or full name.'

Perhaps it had been a fatal error to leave such a loophole in their discussion.

A fatal error on Thrawn's part.

Maybe a demonstration of the might of the Force would be in order after all.

Thrawn was still useful to the Empire, however. He tried to reign in the grief that quickly turned to anger. But his answer had already been said before he had considered.

'Perhaps I did. What interest is she to you?'

It had had a challenging edge to it, thoughtless response or not.

He wanted to wipe the slight smirk off Thrawn's face. Preferably by snapping his neck.

_Trust_ the bastard to read into that challenge and defense as confirmation.

At least he settled how smug he had looked back into an unreadable mask.

'I met her once. She was a remarkable woman. After all that has occurred on this mission, I simply considered that she may still be contactable, once we reach Coruscant--'

There was a stiffness and shock that rippled through the bridge as one moment Thrawn was standing beside him and the next he was pressed against the viewport, boots searching for purchase on the bulkhead and transperisteel, hands clawing uselessly at his throat.

What a common reaction.

Still, there was something intensely satisfying about that collected and shielded mind finally losing itself to such a primal emotion.

Fear. The predator becoming the prey. The warrior becoming defenseless.

It was something Sith Lords became drunk on. Even more so, in this particular case.

'Let this be a lesson, Admiral, not to play your mind games with me.'

The bridge stayed deadly quiet as Thrawn collapsed back to the floor, finally getting his hands around his own throat defensively, gasping in air.

Vader simply swirled his cape as he marched out.

Perhaps he had given Thrawn all the confirmation he needed from that.

Time would tell if Thrawn would ever bring any of their past up again.


End file.
